The next time you do laundry...

...think of your great-great-grandmothers.

My friend Wendy sent this to me. It made me feel so much better about the pile of laundry on the living room floor. I had to share!

Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: (this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook -with spelling errors and all.)


WARSHING CLOTHES

Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert. Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.

Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.

Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.

Hang old rags on fence.

Spread tea towels on grass.

Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs... Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

For you non-southerners - wrench means, rinse.

Sleepy little girl.

After a busy day yesterday, and a morning out and about – Josie needed a break.

This is one of those moments where I watched her sit down on the couch with her fuzzy and her pacifier. I walked down the hall, walked back into the living room and found her sound asleep.


Tired little bug.

A fun day with family.

This morning we drove to Charlotte (about a two hour drive) to spend the day with Kyle's Mom's side of the family. The Steinberg branch of the family tree isn't large, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.

Not only did we get to see Grandpa and Grandma Mox, Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue, Matt and Beth, but Uncle Chris and Aunt Amy were there (with little cousin "?" growing quickly inside that belly of hers), and Uncle Blake, Aunt Kellie and Cousin Anna. It was our first visit with Anna since last Christmas. (Do you remember last Christmas? We still can't forget certain parts unfortunately!)

I brought the camera to be sure and get a picture of the three cousins together, but unfortunately never took it out of the bag. Grandma and Aunt Kellie were shooting photos, so as soon as they upload them I'll grab a few to share. I know for a fact there are cute ones of the three girls with pumpkin and raspberry hats that Aunt Sue made.

Anyway, sorry to bore the rest of you with our family get-together, but I wanted to thank everyone for making the drive to the middle of the state. We don't get together often enough and it's always so nice when we do get the opportunity. Until next time!

How did Marge do it?

Today I planned to run a few work errands, do a little grocery/household shopping, and get the oil changed in Kyle's Suburban. I knew I'd be doing these things with Ellie and Josie, what I didn't expect was my brother Mike calling last night to ask if I could watch Natalie for the day. We don't get to see her that often, so even though we'd be on the road most of the day I said "Yes". (Plus, we've missed the little bugger this past week.)

Holy Moses. One extra child took hectic-but-fun to mindnumbing-and-exhausting. There is a reason we only have two children.

The three girls were great about holding hands across the parking lots. I felt like a momma duck leading her little ducklings across the road. We only had a few meltdowns, and the part of the day that was the most difficult to maneuver was the potty breaks–they were never at the same time–it was almost comical.

My sister-in-law Marge had three children in three years. I ask her how she did it and she doesn't remember. I understand why now. Your brain is sparking back and forth so much thinking "Do I have all three? Does anyone have to go potty? Do I have my wallet? What was on my list?", that you can't possibly have room left in your brain at the end of the day to absorb what conspired in the past 24 hours.

For those of you with more than two children...you amaze me...and you rock!

Girls and carrots.

We thinned carrots Monday evening. The tiny little carrots we pulled out were a hit! No sense in letting them go to waste just because they were small.

RECIPE: Tomato and Basil Ravioli

I can't believe it's 8:00pm Wednesday and I'm just getting a chance to post. Oh wait...yes I can! (It's been one of those days!)

Without boring you with the details of my day, let me tell you this easy recipe was just what the doctor ordered for a hot, too busy weeknight. Not only does it use a few of the tomatoes that are in abundance, but it's quick, easy, and everyone loved it. (I ripped it out of a magazine. I think it was Good Housekeeping - I'm sorry to some other magazine if I'm giving the wrong publication credit!)

Tomato and Basil Ravioli

Ingredients
3 cups diced, fresh tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped, fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 bag frozen ravioli
grated Parmesan

Directions
Combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, cook the frozen ravioli according to package directions. (We used 1/2 bag beef ravioli and 1/2 bag cheese - it was fantastic with both!) Once the ravioli is cooked, drain and toss into the bowl with the other ingredients. Serve with grated Parmesan.

The Diane Rehm Show

I listen to NPR while working. Yesterday, the Diane Rehm Show was about blogging.

The following email was the first email/comment they read:

I've been a “Mommy Blogger” for almost two years. What began as a way for out-of-town family to keep up with our growing children, quickly became a type of therapy for me as a work-at-home mother. The comments I receive from stories I post are not always what I want to hear, but the community of readers that I have is always honest, and the connection I feel with people I’ve never met is priceless.

-Lisa Payne Kirker

You know...it's true. Your comments are priceless!

It's 8:02 and my family is still sleeping.

Why you ask?

Kyle – he didn't get much sleep this weekend. He rolled in around 4:30am Sunday morning after two nights of 4 or less hours of sleep. I think he's still trying to catch up.

Eleanor – her sister isn't awake to run down the hall and throw toys at her door screaming "Ellie! Ellie!"

Josephine – I put the heater back in her room at night. The kids has ALWAYS slept better if it's warm. (Grandma Jessica will remember this!) The mornings have gotten so chilly that Saturday night, in an effort to be allowed to sleep in Sunday morning, I pulled out the electric space heater. The kid slept until 7am. But 8:02...that's a record!

Have a great Monday. Mine has started off on a really great note.

Who needs a babysitter?

Last winter Josie refused to sit in her highchair anymore, so we packed it up and pulled out the booster seat. This has been great - no more chair in the way - until the past few weeks. She's testing her independence and gets up two or three times each meal. I was tired of it Friday morning and brought the highchair back downstairs.

Our thought was that she'd hate the highchair so much that she'd insist on the booster again. Nope! She loves it. Friday morning she sat in the thing - refusing to get out - from 7:30am until 11am. Seriously. It was great for me, I knew right where she was the entire time.


Here she is this morning. She ran into the kitchen asking for "oatmeal", pointed at the chair and started jumping up and down yelling "Baby, baby!"


Here's Ellie...she can't be left out when the camera (or iPhone) is out!

A cold, rainy Saturday morning.

Josie woke me up with "Hold you Mommy!" over the monitor a little after 6am. Last night was our Dam Book Group, so 6am was a bit early for me today. I crawled out of bed, walked sleepily down the hall and saw her standing in her crib, blanket it hand, head leaning on the rail. She looked as sleepy as I did.

We walked back down the hall and got right back into my warm bed. She snuggled her little head into my shoulder then quickly looked up and said "Daddy go?". Kyle left last night for Columbus, OH (he has a booth at the drag race this weekend), so it's just the girls until tomorrow. Josie and I fell back to sleep until 7:30am. Thanks Dozie Bug, Momma needed that!

Now it's 8:30am, the girls are eating their oatmeal, I'm enjoying my coffee, and the house is a whopping 59˚. I love cool end of summer mornings – it's even drizzling outside. The perfect day for comfy pants and an old sweatshirt.

I'm supposed to go to my class reunion this evening. I might have a babysitter lined up, but the girls had a sitter last night, as well as Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so I could work. I really just want to stay home and be Mom tonight. We'll see how the day plays out.

If I had to bet, I'd put money on me staying home, baking cookies with "help" from Ellie and Josie, and snuggling on the couch with our new Dam Book Group book. Isn't that what you're supposed to do on rainy Saturdays?

My first 5K with an audience!

Last night my friend/neighbor Amy and I ran the Thunderbolt 5K in Whitehall. I've been looking forward to this one – it's an evening vs. morning run. I usually head out at 8:30pm most nights, so running the morning races isn't my favorite.

Kyle had a few errands to do in Muskegon yesterday afternoon, so he took the girls with him, giving me 2 hours of complete silence before Amy picked me up at 6:00pm.

I don't know if it was the late start time or the quiet hours before hand that gave me the opportunity to rejuvenate, but I ran a fantastic time (for me): 29:38. Yippee! (Amy kicked my butt by a couple of minutes - but she's just a faster broad!)

Although the low time is exciting, the very, very best part of the evening was Kyle, Ellie and Josie waiting for me at the finish line. (He mentioned that if they were driving back home around 6pm or so, they'd stop by.) It's the first time they've ever been to a race, and seeing them there both inspired me and choked me up at bit at the same time. (Not real convenient when you're so out of breath to begin with!)

Once I finished and caught my breath the girls ran up to me with big smiles and big hugs. Ellie said "Mommy! You are such a good runner. I'm SO PROUD OF YOU!"

You know, it wouldn't have mattered to them if I beat my last race time or not. I could have come crawling in last and they would have thought I just finished first in the Boston Marathon.

Anyway, the time was great, but having my family there to watch was even better.

Oops.

This morning has been a little hectic. It's raining, I'm trying to do some canning, work on a couple of projects and get the house cleaned. It's not going too well.

While on the phone discussing a design job Josie was sitting on my lap. She was really, really quiet. I should have known that meant trouble.

This is what she looks like now:


Kyle said not to worry, it will be gone before she gets married.

How do you remove Sharpie ink?

Corny Tuesday.

Yes, I realize that is a very goofy headline. Oh well.

Tuesday morning, on my way back from picking up our friends' daughter Anna to babysit for the day, my Uncle Denny called. Monday evening they checked the corn in their garden– it was ready to go! He and my Aunt Luann froze a wheelbarrow full themselves, gave a bushel to my brother Ben and his family, and had plenty more for us. Hooray!

The girls were great about helping me husk it all, and the rest of the process went smoother than usual as well - thanks to two tools. A) the FoodSaver we bought a few weeks ago, and B) this handy little thing my Uncle Denny shared with us - this sucker is on my wish list!

Thanks again to my aunt and uncle for the vegetables (or is that considered a starch)? While we were husking the corn Ellie asked "Mommy, why do Denny and Woowan keep thinking we need so much food?"

You know Ellie, they are just really nice that way!

Another reason why we call her "Dozie Bug"

This was taken last night after her bath.

A Happy Little GIVEAWAY! - WINNERS!

And the winners are....

#5 Cousin Beth and #8 The Shark!

Congratulations, and happy cleaning! (Is that possible?)

(Sarah, email me with your temporary address.)

Summer dinner at home.

Last night we had a perfect, quiet dinner at home. Steaks and potatoes on the grill and edamame from our friends Dan and Renéa's garden.

Eleanor, stacking the edamame pods. She decided we have to grow them next year too!

Kyle, mid bite. (Sorry honey! You're still cute.)

Eleanor and Josephine – little angels. (A rare moment of shared happiness.)

All of Kyle's Kirker girls.

I have a strange feeling that Josie's school pictures are going to have this same silly smile. Cute little bugger!

I hope all of you get a chance to dine al fresco before the weather changes, it's the perfect way to spend a summer evening at home.

Tips from "Parents" magazine.

There is a great article from the September 2009 issue of Parents magazine titled "39 Things Every Mother Should Know".

Here are 5 of them...

#1 You never have to go to obnoxious kid-themed restaurants. Ever.

#3 Do your chores while your kids are awake. Using up naptime to wash dishes or clean the bathroom is truly soul-crushing.

#6 Just throw away the poopy underwear.

#15 Answer this question: What is the worst thing that can happen if your kids sleep in there clothes?

#34 Teach them to like cool music. Why suffer through The Wiggles when you could be enjoying Wilco or counting along with Feist? (Or in our case Bob Marley and The Grateful Dead!)

For the remaining 34 pick up the magazine. It's a good one!

A first and a few milestones.

Yesterday I took my daughters school-clothes shopping for the first time. Before heading out we sorted through Ellie's clothes, trying on jeans and taking inventory. Overall she didn't need much – panties, socks & undershirts, a couple pair of pants, a few long-sleeve t-shirts, and "inside" shoes for school. Not too bad.

Our first stop was the mall where we made out like bandits at The Children's Place…two pair of jeans, and five t-shirts for just under $50. Score. Ellie and Josie convinced me to let them play in the play area (something I have NEVER done before - it kind of grosses me out). I really enjoyed the 20 minutes of down time sitting on the comfy bench while they ran around with the other children. I know they enjoyed it as well.

Ellie "cheesing" for the camera.

This is Josie – such the second child. Instead of sitting on large toys she'd slide down them face first. The lighthouse? Forget about the door...she'd rather go in "Dukes" style through the window.

Our final stop was Target for shoes, panties, socks and undershirts. Our first milestone occurred in the parking lot. I got Ellie out of her carseat first, followed by Josie. Instead of our usual hold Ellie's hand and carry Josie routine, Josie said "No! Momma hand!" when I got her out. It took a second for me to grasp what she wanted. Then it occurred to me – she wanted to walk like her sister. And we did. My two little girls and I walked across the parking lot into the store. It was both a happy moment and sad moment at the same time.

The second milestone of the day? Eleanor was allowed to pick out her very own "big girl" booster seat. She's over the weight and height requirements and will be four October 5th, so we decided it was time. (Plus, the buckle on her carseat cuts into her thighs most of the time, so I know she's too big for it.) She chose a black booster with pink and yellow flowers and was so anxious and proud to show Daddy when we got home.

Our girls, they are growing up too fast.

It's time to make your place (AKA A Happy Little Giveway)!

Oh, it's been so long...too long since I gave something away. You may not believe it, but I have more fun than you do with these silly things.

As you might have guessed, I have a new favorite book - (So long Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver...no, not really. It's still my all-time favorite) - Make Your Place, Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs is a treasure!

Want one for yourself?

Tickle my brain by leaving a comment with your best housekeeping tip. If it's "hire a cleaning lady", so be it. I'll take that into consideration. However, I'm looking more for the tips that the rest of us can use.

By the way...I just might have liked this book so much that I bought three. Mmmm...just maybe I'm giving away TWO books instead of one. (I'd put money on it).

I'll keep the comments open until Monday morning. Good luck!

I feel a bit like a mad scientist lately.

I have a new book, it's called Make Your Place, Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs. I can't get enough of it. The little book is A) fun to read, it's written entirely in long-hand with sweet little drawings throughout and B) crammed full of natural, inexpensive ways to clean your house, your kids, yourself, your dogs, tend your garden and cure ailments.

I've used a number of the recipes/suggestions so far, but my favorite is the "Almost All-Purpose Spray Cleaner". I've been a fan of Mrs. Meyers for years, but our local natural market stopped carrying the lavender cleaner that I like and I haven't spent the money to order any online. Serendipity - I'm glad I waited!

This recipe is easy, inexpensive (once you have the ingredients - they'll last you a very, very long time and have many other uses), smells fantastic and I swear it works better than my old standby. Sorry Mrs. Meyers!

Almost All-Purpose Spray Cleaner

Ingredients
1 teaspoon liquid Castile soap
1 teaspoon Borax
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups hot water
1/4 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil
3 drops tea tree oil

Directions
Mix it all together in a spray bottle. Use on anything but glass.

For those friends of mine (you know who you are) who don't feel their home is clean without the scent of Clorox, a few facts: lavender oil is antibacterial, eucalyptus and tea tree oils are antimicrobial. Borax and Castile are natural disinfectants and cleansers. See? You can do it!

A little note: I hope that Raleigh doesn't mind that I posted one of her recipes. She may be inclined to forgive me since I may have purchased a second copy of this book. I may have liked it so much that I needed to share it with someone. Maybe one of you. Just maybe...

RECIPE: Pesto

I posted this last year, but have had a few requests for the recipe these past few weeks. I made it last night...so yummy...so incredibly easy! Use that basil, it will be gone before you know it.

RECIPE: Pesto

I cut the recipe in 1/2, it was enough for dinner as well as a serving of leftovers. It's posted here in the full amount.

Ingredients
1 lb. linguine
36 basil leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
7 oz olive oil
salt and black pepper

Directions
Wipe the basil leaves clean and place them in a food processor together with the garlic. Turn on the machine and gradually add the cheese and olive oil. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta to al dente and drain reserving 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the pasta water to the pesto and then toss the entire amount with the pasta, being sure to coat each strand. Enjoy...it's delicious!

Weekend...not much to say.

We cleaned. And then cleaned some more. We had a few thunderstorms. That's about it. Today the carpets are being cleaned and then tomorrow Kyle and I will work on the outside/landscaping at our old house. Then...we're done!! (Until the new tenant moves out a few years from now.) Hey, at least he's making the mortgage payment for us, right?

If you did anything fun this weekend, feel free to share! I'll live vicariously through all of you for a few days. If you don't mind!

Happy Monday!

Welcome!

My sister-in-law has started a blog: The Time Before Dawn. Welcome Kellie!!

Grumbly in my tumbly.

Ellie's been getting out of bed a few times each night before finally falling asleep. Last night she tried the following tactic for staying up just a little bit later:

"Mommy, my tumbly is grumbly." she said as she entered the livingroom.

I smiled, appreciating the Whinnie the Pooh reference. "Ellie it's too late for a snack."

"Maybe you should have eaten all of your dinner." said Kyle.

"But Daddy! If my tumbly is too grumbly it will make a little hole right in my tummy. It will crawl out and be really, really angry at you!!" she tells us, complete with hand motions.

Kyle and I looked at each other, confused and impressed at the same time.

"I guess that's a chance we'll have to take. Goodnight Dear." I said and walked her back down the hallway.

Note: It's morning. We're fine. No really, really angry tumbly attacked us in our sleep.

Mommy's little helpers.

This past week both Eleanor and Josephine have given me a hand with dishes.


I think I can convince them this is fun for a few more years.

FoodSaver = Awesome

For the past year the idea of a family FoodSaver unit has been tossed around. With all of the gardeners, hunters and fishers in the family, we knew it would get used. We keep talking about investing in one that we share, but no one had actually done it.

Yesterday I was at Sam's Club and there it was...the FoodSaver V2460...for $99.99. I grabbed the phone out of my purse and pulled up Amazon.com. Their price...$129.99. Score!

I called Kyle, called my brother Ben, and after two "Buy it!" comments, threw it in the cart.

Last night I froze a batch of beans that my Aunt Luann and Uncle Denny gave us. The girls loved taking turns pushing the "Vac and Seal" button. I loved not hyperventilating from trying to suck the extra air out of all those ZipLock bags!

Why didn't we do this sooner?

Oh...and Aunt Luann...you get first dibs. Thanks for all of the green beans!

Our weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly.

PART 3 - The Ugly

We still own our old house in Montague. For the past two years we've been renting it to a young couple. Their lease was up on July 31st, so last Sunday we drove down to see what it looked like after they moved out.

When we walked in the door we were overwhelmed with the smell of cat pee. The lease stated "No Pets", so how the carpet could be saturated with the odor of cat urine...I'll never know.

My initial reaction after walking around was to burst into tears, then I wanted to vomit.

Kyle bought the house in 1999 and immediately added a large garage, dining room, upstairs mater bedroom and bath, and an office space. He slowly worked on finishing the rooms as money allowed, and after we were married in 2003 he moved into my small house while we finished the Montague house. When all was said and done, the house was completely new - inside and out. New siding, roof, deck, driveway, landscaping on the outside. The inside of the house was drywalled, painted and trimmed. New bathrooms (sinks, tubs, tiles etc.), every window was brand new. We stripped and sanded the maple floors on the lower level and had new carpet put in the upper level. The house shown like a new penny.

It was perfect for newlyweds and great with one baby. When I got pregnant with Josie we started looking for something bigger and eventually bought our current (and last) home. At the same time the housing market tanked, and we decided to hang onto the house and rent it out. The couple we found as renters seemed perfect. He was an engineer, she was a nurses aide. I felt really comfortable with them as renters. What a mistake!

Our white custom cabinets are brown with grease, grime and dirt. The toilets and sinks look like they've never been scrubbed. The walls are covered with soot (we think they may have supplemented the gas heat with a Kerosene heater). The smell of cat pee is overwhelming. They must have parked cars in the yard because the grass that Kyle worked so hard to grow and care for is completely gone. They threw garbage and car parts down the hill behind the house, and there is a 5'x5' area of oil-soaked dirt outside the garage door. But, the saddest part...the carpeting. The plush, latté colored carpet is matted and black with grease and dirt. I don't know if it's salvageable.

I know we should have expected this when allowing strangers to live in our house, and I need to realize that's what it is...a house. It's not our home. However, it's so hard to separate what is inside those walls from the memories I have. The blood, sweat and tears that went into creating a space that contained our first years of marriage. The roof and walls that kept us warm and safe while we learned how to be new parents, and watched our oldest daughter take her first steps and say her first words.

It's just a house. Hopefully, if I saw that enough I'll start to believe it.

Our weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly.

PART 2 - The Bad

When we arrived home Sunday afternoon, our children were rotten. Spoiled rotten. Smelled so bad we should have dumped them in the compost pile.

O.K. There is no bad here, but The Good, the good and the ugly didn't have the same ring to it. The grandmother to grandchild ratio was 1:1 all weekend, what could possibly be bad about that? Saturday and Sunday they participated in activities such as a trip to the petting farm, ice cream cones, new coloring books and princess crowns, hot dogs, corn on the cob and chips and dip for dinner, multiple stories at bedtime, breakfast out Sunday morning and whatever other trouble the grandma's could get into!

Grandma Mox took a few pictures to prove the girls weren't mistreated:

Josie is catching up!

Ellie and Josie were allowed to feed one of the new calves.

Smile Peanut!

Grandma said Josie's favorite part of the day was washing her hands. I'm good with that.

Winding down with stories at bedtime.

Sorry, Judy...but it looks like you are going to fall asleep before Josie and Ellie!

Really, this was a perfect couple of days for our little girls. Thank you so much Grandma Mox and Judy for giving them so much love for us!

Tomorrow... The Ugly. (For real. We took a drive Sunday night to check out our old house that had been rented for the past 18 months. A hint: I didn't know if I wanted to throw up or cry when I walked in the door.)

Our weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly.

PART 1 - The Good

Saturday, Kyle's mom and her friend Judy arrived at 1pm to stay with the girls while Kyle and I took a night "off". When Jessica called to ask if Judy could crash the overnight...I said sure, the more Grandmas the better. Kyle and I kissed Ellie and Josie, thanked the grandmothers and high tailed it out of town.

We arrived at the hotel a few hours early, so we left our bags with the concierge and walked downtown for a beer. It was reminiscent of the old days - a dark, stale bar in the middle of the afternoon - a great way to turn off your mind for a little while. Eventually the hotel called to let us know our room was ready, so we cashed out and walked back.

Once inside we checked in, got our room key and took the elevator up to the 22nd floor. Holy moley, our room was great. It was on the corner of the building, and two of the four walls were floor to ceiling windows looking over the Grand River – a great view. A quick note about our hotel: I was online trying to find a decent room downtown Grand Rapids so we could walk to dinner, walk to a few bars afterwards and not have to drive home. Not being satisfied with anything I saw online, I took a chance and called the Amway Grand Plaza. Huge score. For $1 less than the other hotel I found downtown, we got valet parking, a kick-butt room, champagne and a $50 food voucher. Yes...a dollar less! (It was called the "Summer of Love" package, so as long as you don't mind being reminded by everyone that you're there for "Love", it's worth every penny!)

Anyway, a few minutes after scoping out the room our champagne arrived. Kyle and I popped the cork and sat down in the comfy chairs to enjoy a glass. We sat there for almost 2 hours and talked. Talked without being interrupted by kids, phones or email. We needed that. Finally our stomachs reminded us of our purpose for driving into the city – San Chez Tapas Bistro. We made the quick 10 minute walk to the restaurant. Kyle asked the host for a special birthday table. You know...roll your eyes like I did...but it worked. A great table, a fun server and an amazing dinner. Garlic, hummus, shrimp, more garlic, cheese, crawfish and more garlic. My mouth is watering just typing this.

We enjoyed every bite of our leisurely two-hour dinner and walked down the street to HopCat for an after-dinner beer. One brew later we decided to head back to the hotel. It was only 10:30pm, but we were tired.

We awoke Sunday morning around 6:30am, realized there were no kids to feed and fell back to sleep for another few hours. At 10am I called room service. I've never done that before, but with our $50 food voucher we thought breakfast in bed was a fantastic idea. Was it ever! Sitting in bed eating eggs, French toast and drinking hot coffee – the perfect way to end our overnight escape.

More tomorrow....

Happy birthday...to me.

Here I am thirty years ago.


I was four (you do the math). I also was pretty darn chubby!

Have a great weekend!